Creating a New College and Research Center at New Mexico State University

TO: Members of the NMSU Community

FROM: Provost Carol Parker

RE: Creating a New College and New Research Center at New Mexico State University: Repositioning Health, Education, Social Services and the Social Sciences for Maximum Impact and Future Growth*

I want to share with you the news that I will soon be launching a task force to evaluate a proposal to reposition academic units currently located in three different Las Cruces campus colleges into a new, larger, college. The vision for this new college would administratively combine academic units presently in the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Social Sciences division; Education; and Health and Social Services.

Functionally, this would formally bring together many of our NMSU faculty whose work is focused on promoting improved outcomes in health, education, social services, social mobility, criminal justice, and socio-economic opportunity. It would position NMSU to better support current and emerging academic programs in areas of high demand for regional workforce development (health, education, criminal justice, etc.). It would also position NMSU to increase support for interdisciplinary research, proposal submittals, and graduate education in these fields of study. I further believe this initiative could position NMSU to seek extramural funding in support of the creation of a new research center dedicated to eliminating the downstream effects of inadequate or counterproductive public policy and systemic bias and racism, which adversely affect outcomes in health, education, social mobility, criminal justice and economic opportunity.

I have asked the deans of the Colleges of Arts and Sciences, Education and Health and Social Services to lead the Task Force to gather input via listening sessions, surveys and other communication tools. An overview of the concept can be found on my website: https://provost.nmsu.edu/provost-office-projects/hes/index.html. The website will develop over time to serve as an information hub about the task force’s work and progress as it is made.

Please know that this is a concept not a blueprint. No decisions have been made at this point; the ultimate decision of whether to proceed in this direction would be made by the Board of Regents (RPM 4.0.C.). In my opinion, however, there is a real sense of urgency related to the need to genuinely consider restructuring. If done well, the restructuring can reduce administrative costs. The faculty at NMSU are capable of enormous personal growth and capacity for change in short periods of time, as was demonstrated by our recent rallying to face the educational crisis caused by the ongoing pandemic. I know we are similarly capable of rallying to do the necessary work of some academic restructuring to meet the concurrent fiscal crisis in higher education. It is through initiatives such as this that NMSU will come through the current pandemic and fiscal crises stronger, rather than weaker, and well positioned for future growth.

*This is a conceptual description; actual participating units and the new college name would need to be determined.

Creating a New College and New Research Center at New Mexico State University: Repositioning Health, Education, Social Services and the Social Sciences for Maximum Impact and Future Growth PDF